Pair of Hawks honored by Big Ten

Instant impact made by two newcomers to the Iowa basketball
program did not go unnoticed. Melsahn Basabe and Bryce Cartwright
were awarded honorable mention all-Big Ten recognition Monday and
Basabe was named to the league's all-freshman team selected by
coaches.

Basabe, honored by both the coaches and media, leads Iowa in
rebounding and blocks and is the first Hawkeye - regardless of
class - to collected 325 points, 200 rebounds and 40 blocks in a
single season since Ryan Bowen in 1998.

"Melsahn has had a great freshman season,'' Iowa coach Fran
McCaffery said. "He's learned every step of the way and he will
only be better with the more experience he has.''

Cartwright moved into the point guard role after starter Cully
Payne was injured and he became the first Hawkeye since Dean Oliver
in 2001 to lead the Big Ten in assists in conference play.

"I'm not sure where we would be without Bryce,'' McCaffery said.
"He's really grown into his role.''

Purdue senior JaJuan Johnson became the third Boilermaker to earn
Big Ten player of the year honors and the first since Illinois' Dee
Brown in 2005 to earn both player of the year and defensive player
of the year recognition from the league coaches.

Johnson was joined on the first team selected by both coaches and
the media by Big Ten freshman of the year Jared Sullinger of Ohio
State, Purdue teammate E'Twaun Moore and Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor.
Coaches awarded the fifth first-team spot to the Badgers' Jon
Leuer, while Penn State's Talor Battle took the final spot on the
media first team.

Illinois' Demetri McCamey received third-team honors from both
groups, while the Illini's Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale were
honorable mention selections.

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